Category Archives: Product review

February 17, 2017 · 7:54 pm

Be Healthy Box from Simply Earth

Cold and flu season is in full force around here! Thankfully, our family has been spared so far, but February’s Simply Earth essential oils recipe box has arrived, so we’re prepared should it strike.

(Disclosure: I received this box of essential oils free from Simply Earth in exchange for this review. However, all opinions are my own.)

Essential oils have been around for a very long time, but Simply Earth has put a new spin on them, offering high quality, pure oils in a monthly subscription box. Each box also includes recipes and most of the necessary supplies for the recipes. Take a look at some of their previous boxes I’ve received..

Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box Contents

This month’s box included several oils that are pretty handy to have around:

Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Blood Orange
Breathe Easy Blend (Fir Needle, Frankincense, Cedarwood, & Myrrh Essential Oil)
Head Soothing Blend (Lavender, Rosewood, & Frankincense Essential Oil)

All seven recipes in the February box required very minimal effort. They were basically all mix-and-go recipes, which is definitely handy if you aren’t feeling your best. I don’t think they would be necessary for the particular recipes in this box, but should you have any questions about completing a project, Simply Earth does have instructional videos for each box available on their web site.

Recipes included:

  • Head Soothing Roll-on
  • Cold & Flu Bath Soak
  • Sinus Relief Roll-on
  • Calming Inhaler
  • Steady-on Diffuser Blend
  • Nausea Relief Inhaler
  • Point Pain Roll-on Relief

My favorite is the Head Soothing Roll-on. I put it to use immediately.

Simply Earth Essential Oils

Want to get started with your own subscription to Simply Earth’s essential oils recipe box for just $39 AND a free diffuser? CLICK HERE (Diffuser offer expires March 19)
Hint: next month’s box involves soap making! 😀

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February 10, 2017 · 6:30 am

Homemade Beauty Products with Simply Earth

January’s box from Simply Earth has been my favorite so far!

Before I tell you more about it, let me make the obligatory comment that yes, they did provide the product free of charge, but all opinions are my own. I’m not going to tell my readers I like something that I really don’t. 🙂

essential oils with diffuser(This article contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links will not affect your pricing, but it will provide us a small percentage to support our blog.)

If you haven’t seen my first Simply Earth essential oils box review, be sure to check it out. Their boxes are a unique mix of essential oils and fun crafts! Each box contains 4-5 full size, high quality essential oils, 5-7 recipes for using them (on cute little notecards), and most of the supplies you’ll need for each project. Boxes start at only $39 per month.

January’s box was all about creating homemade beauty products with essential oils.

On several occasions I’ve seen posts on Facebook or heard other moms *cough* my sister-in-law *cough* talking about making things like homemade lip balm and facial products and thought, “Who on earth has that kind of time?! I’d love to do that, but really?” I mean, I was totally confused as to where these women were finding these extra hours in their day. I’m currently sitting at my computer, in the dark, and running back and forth from my kids’ rooms, trying to get everyone to actually go to sleep. On most days, I’m in a dead run from the time I wake up until 9 pm or later.

Well, thanks to Simply Earth’s essential oils recipe box, I realized I was wrong! It’s really simple and not nearly as time consuming as I had imagined. I spent less time making 6 tubes of lip balm than I do trying to decide which one to purchase when I’m standing in the store staring at them.

It was truly a 1, 2, 3 & done process.

Three steps:

1. Melt beeswax & almond oil in a double boiler.
2. Add essential oil
3. Pour into containers & let cool

Yes, it’s that easy.

My little girls love lip balm. They call it their “lipstick,” and want to wear it every time they see me putting on make up. Now I can hand them their own tube of homemade lip balm, knowing it’s free of dyes, scents my youngest daughter may be allergic too,  or any other unnecessary chemicals.

And look how pretty they are.

homemade lip balm
This month’s subscription box also included two diffuser blend recipes. I enjoyed them both, and a friend suggested using their “Rejuvination Blend”(lime & cedarwood) as a mom-hack for those days that you don’t get to the cleaning. Ha! She’s such a genius. Why didn’t I think of that?

My second favorite project in this box was making the Beauty Within Face Mask. I don’t tend to have dry skin on my face, but it will be an amazing hand cream for this mama that washes dishes and/or her hands 100 times each day! Again, I was surprised by how super easy it was to make too. It was basically the same process as the lip balm.

homemade facial mask

This essential oils box also included a recipe for a Beauty Within roll-on and a solid perfume (along with the supplies for each of course). There’s a fun video of the roll-on over on my page on Facebook.

If you want to try it out for yourself, you can see their subscription box options and individual products over at www.simplyearth.com.

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December 29, 2016 · 5:28 pm

Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that my second subscription box from Simply Earth finally arrived. We’re in the midst of moving (during the craziest holiday & birthday season is the best time to move ya know), and it took an extra week or so to track it down between the two houses and having mail forwarded, etc. I got it though!

A little recap…

I’m testing out Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Boxes, a subscription box that includes not only full size essential oils, but recipes and craft supplies for using them. (I am being provided the products in exchange for reviews, but all opinions are completely my own.)

Things to remember about Simply Earth and their products:

Each box contains 6-7 natural recipes, printed on cute little cards on a ring to keep you organized, 4-5 full size essential oils, and most of the necessary supplies for the craft recipes.

Simply Earth gives back by donating 13% of their profits to organizations that aid in ending human trafficking and restoring the victims’ lives.

The essential oils that arrived in this box were spearmint, coffee, ginger, and citrus burst.

Also in this box was instructions and supplies for more holiday blends and a few crafts that would make good gifts. I enjoyed stretching my crafting muscles, which I admit have gotten pretty rusty over the last few years.

bath bombs and recipe cards

The first project I tackled was making bath bombs. This was my very first time to make bath bombs, and I have to say there’s a bit of a learning curve to it. 🙂 They work and smell amazing, but definitely don’t look as lovely as I had imagined. After doing a bit more research though, I have learned what to do differently next time, and it’s a technique issue, not a product issue. (i.e. I’m a #pinterestfail kind of mom.)

essential oils and roll-on blend

I did much better with the second project, the “Digest Roll-on,” a roll-on blend of spearmint and ginger essential oils, said to ease digestion issues. I love that Simply Earth even included a pre-printed label for the roll-on bottle! I’m terrible about having to sniff and pour out my homemade household cleaners, mixes, etc. because I have no idea what’s in the bottle.

Simply Earth essentail Oils and diffuser
The diffuser blend recipe this month is a new favorite of mine! Citrus Burst and Coffee! Who would have thought of that? Certainly not me, but I love it. I love to turn it on in the morning to wake myself up. Other recipes inside this box included a holiday scented body scrub, diffuser necklace (which is super cool and not nearly as difficult to make as I imagined.), and a flannel hand warmer.

Now that I’ve seen two boxes, I can honestly say I recommend Simply Earth! It’s an easy and fun introduction for an essential oils novice and a convenient way to expand your essential oils collection and knowledge for experienced users.

Simply Earth offers three options for the essential oils recipe boxes.

1 Box Every Month: $39 per box
1 Box Every Three Months: $45 per box
Just This Month’s Box: $49
Shipping is free, and you can pause or cancel a subscription at any time.

Looking for a specific oil or a new diffuser? They have those too, and you can order oils and roll-ons individually.So head on over to SimplyEarth.com to get your subscription started, or even send one as a gift!

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November 1, 2016 · 12:34 am

It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas (Simply Earth)


At least in my bathroom it does! (And the rest of the house will soon be the same.)

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you should know by now I’m pretty excited about my new bathroom! Just a bit.

It’s still not 100% complete, but it’s amazing nonetheless.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate that subway tile and original shiplap.

Sigh.

Anyway.

When I walked in there last night, it smelled like a litter box.

Y’all, our cat has not been inside in a few days. It could not be blamed on him.

Unfortunately.

I’d also like to note that the smell was NOT present just a few hours earlier in the evening. It appeared sometime between the time I fed my children and the time they went to bed!

I was somewhat shocked by the revolting smell and that it appeared so quickly, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. Two little people that often forget we have modern plumbing (ya know, a flushing toilet), a little one potty training,  and one in diapers, and it’s our laundry room, so dirty laundry too… Yeah, it’s a daily battle.


Good thing they’re cute. 😀

And good thing Simply Earth sent me one of their subscription boxes to review!

I seriously ran to grab that box because I remembered one of the recipe cards inside of it was for a Christmas air freshener! (How lucky was that?)

I pulled everything out and whipped up this easy and lovely air freshener in less than 5 minutes! The box included everything I needed except the baking soda. Now my bathroom smells like Christmas!

Ahhhh, much better.


With the overwhelming smell taken care of and replaced with a lovely, fresh scent, I could clean and search for the source of that stench. 🙂
What is Simply Earth, you ask?

It is a subscription box service with each box containing 6 or 7 different recipes with a new theme each month such as holiday (This one was Christmas!), bath & beauty, or DIY cleaning. Each box also contains 5 FULL SIZE  bottles of essential oils (100% pure essential oils), and extras such as labels and containers to make your recipes.

I was so very impressed from the moment I opened my first box.

I haven’t even done all the recipes/crafts yet from my first box (I’ll share more as I do), but I wanted to share this one with you and tell you how you can win your own Simply Earth box!

Just click the link below to enter, and a winner will be chosen next week! Yep, it’s that simple.

Rafflecopter giveaway

Too impatient and want to order your own subscription right away?
Head on over to SimplyEarth.com and use the code: ZOOFREEDIF to receive a free diffuser with your order! Be sure you have the subscription box and diffuser in your cart to use the code!

Sign up here for the box https://simplyearth.com/pages/subscription-box 

Click here to check out the diffuser https://simplyearth.com/products/essential-oil-diffuser
Be sure to check out Simply Earth on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest too for more info and fun!

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February 26, 2016 · 11:20 pm

Exploring Our Solar System with Rachel and the Treeschoolers (a review)

We love everything Two Little Hands around here, so when I got a chance to get a sneak peek at the new episode of Rachel and the Treeschoolers, Our Solar System, I was super excited! I knew my kids would be too. For sure.

treeschoolers-9-landing

With a new baby in the house, I figured it was the perfect time to pull out our new DVD. Learning, fun, and a few minutes of entertainment while mommy tends to the baby? Yes, please! And unlike most shows for children now, this series is highly educational, based on Ph.D researched curriculum. and actively engages the kids in learning with fun songs and ASL (American Sign Language). My 5 year old often talks of wanting to be an astronaut, so I was especially excited to watch the DVD with him. Once again, Rachel Coleman and her Treeschooler friends did not disappoint!

Episode 9, Our Solar System, revolves around “The Mystery of the Missing Moon.” Simon is very concerned when he sees the moon slowly disappearing! Is someone stealing the moon?  Rachel and the Treeschoolers work together to solve their mystery, and in the process they also learn about the sun, moon, stars, planets, and some scientists whose questions led to discoveries about our universe.

The first time we watched it, I was very impressed by all the vocabulary included. I was so excited about all the things it introduced to my little ones that I hadn’t even thought of teaching them right now. We’ve had some great discussions about gravity, phases of the moon, Milky Way and other galaxies and more. My favorite song in this episode, ABCs of Astronomy, is amazing. It is fun and an easy way of remembering some great foundational vocabulary of astronomy. We have a set of outer space flash cards my boys have been asking to get out. As we went through them one day last week, I was impressed with how much my five year old knew. Every time I asked how he knew something, he said he learned it from, “The Signing Time movie!” Also included in this episode, are more than 50 ASL signs. We’ve had a lot of fun practicing those! Anytime learning can be hands-on is a good thing! It really helps to sink things into the memory around here.

It was definitely another win for Rachel and the Treeschoolers with my bunch. A tv show that was called “just too educational for children’s television,” yet my children, and many others, love it. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of this series!

If you would like your own copy of this and/or any of the other fun episodes of Rachel and the Treeschoolers,head on over to their web site. While you’re there, be sure to request a fun activity guide to go along with whichever DVDs you purchase. These include crafts, games, printables, activity ideas, and more to bring the topics and discussions from the DVD right into your classroom (or to your dining room table for many of us homeschoolers:-) ).

 

 

*I was provided a copy of this product for review purposes. Of course, all opinions are strictly my own. 🙂

 

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December 14, 2014 · 10:09 pm

Merry Kissmas and Peanut Butter Blossoms

I love chocolate. (Is there a girl that doesn’t?) Last week I was super excited to receive a Hershey’s Kissmas VoxBox from Influenster. (They send out fun new products to testers like me to try out and give feedback.)

20141217-160626.jpg
Free chocolate? Who would turn that down?! Not me.

I hid the box in an upper kitchen cabinet for a few days, trying to decide if I should just eat them all, bake something, or get crafty.

I had just been given one of these Kisses Christmas trees at a recent moms’ group meeting.

I thought these bigger trees were cute too.

Plus, they looked easy enough for my not-so-crafty self, but who am I kidding? I really wanted to eat them, not put a decorative, chocolate time bomb on my table for the toddler to enjoy at 4 a.m. without me.

Then I remembered my husband’s company Christmas party. Ah ha!

Peanut butter blossoms! When I was a kid we had a cookie day every year at my great-aunt’s house with my cousins and aunts. Peanut butter blossoms were one of my favorites we made. I’m sure you can guess why. 😄 The Hershey’s Kisses of course!

This recipe is super easy, yummy, and gluten free as a bonus, so they were the perfect use for my Hershey’s Kisses. That little pyramid of chocolate on top totally makes the cookie.

The cookies were gobbled up at the party, so I’m assuming everyone else enjoyed them as much as I do. However, I was sure to make extra dough for myself to have naptime treats the rest of the week.

20141217-163423.jpg

Which is exactly what I’m doing right now. Yum!

Do you have a favorite craft or recipe using Hershey’s Kisses?

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.*

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September 26, 2013 · 9:02 am

Colgate SlimSoft {review}

Being pregnant, my gums are pretty sensitive. WHen I brush my teeth, I usually can expect it to hurt a bit and make my gums bleed (tmi, sorry). That’s why I was really  excited to finally find my Colgate Slimsoft VoxBox in the mail yesterday!
I tried it out, and my old toothbrush found itself in the trashcan immediately!

The first thing I noticed was the easy-to-open packaging. I’m a photographer, but my degree is in Digital Media & Design. Packaging design is important to me. This was super easy to open, so that made me happy.

easy open package for toothbrush

The next thing I noticed was the nice design of the brush handle. Really large toothbrushes kind of annoy me, so I like this smaller one.

IMG_7607

Then the best part, the super soft bristles that clean really well! Those little blue-tipped bristles gently get down below the gum line to remove all that nasty plaque, and the thin shape of the brush allows it to get in all those hard to reach places of your mouth.

IMG_7604

My silly pregnancy gum problems are no longer an issue, and my teeth are clean! Are you looking for a new toothbrush? If so, I recommend then Colgate SlimSoft. 🙂

 

 

 

 

insluenter button
Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . I received a tooth brush to facilitate this review through Influenster.com. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ.

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